At Dusk
by MimiBlue
Summary: "It has been 10 very long years of waiting, my dear Saber. Forgive me if I...indulge in this moment." [twoshot] [smut]


This is just a twoshot I got the idea for after beta reading some of the lovely KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga's Gil X Arturia fics (They're on AO3, check them out!).  
I ended up getting a random surge of inspiration for this pairing, so I came up with this. Also loosely inspired off the great fic 'drag me down (it's warm in hell)" by appl3cookies.

Thank you KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga for coming up with the title of this fic as well!

I should note that this is not a sequel to my old fic, Hidden Feelings, if anyone is familiar with it. I find that fic to be extremely out of character now, so consider this to be sort of a spiritual successor, if you will.

That said, enjoy, and leave a review if you're feeling generous :)

* * *

 _It was a nice night,_ Saber thought as she walked through the quiet nighttime streets of Fuyuki. The air was still, and the entire sky was pitch black, save for the soft glow the full moon gave off. It was...peaceful, a sensation Saber hadn't received the pleasure of enjoying as of late.

Saber frowned as she continued to walk aimlessly around the city, deeply lost in thought.

It had been not long, barely a week, since she had been summoned into this 5th Holy Grail War, yet she was already certain that this war was shaping out to be far worse than the one before it. For one thing, there was her Master, Shirou.

Shirou was, in a word, incompetent. Saber bitterly remembered the actual incredulousness and utter disbelief she felt when she was first summoned into the war, only to look into the face of a young boy who not only had no idea who she was, but was completely oblivious about everything regarding the Holy Grail War. It had taken a very long and tedious explanation from the patient Rin in order to even remotely catch him up, but even then, he still acted very indecisive and unsure, both of which were traits she felt a Master should never possess.

Not only that, but he had a very strange fixation on not letting Saber fight, constantly proclaiming that it 'wasn't right' for her, as a woman, to fight, despite it being her sworn duty. It was immensely frustrating, to say the least, but Saber didn't dare call him out on it; he was still her Master, after all.

And finally, perhaps the most irritating of it all, was the fact that Shirou did not merely see Saber as a tool, a fighter, but as a woman. While Saber may be inexperienced in matters regarding love, it did not mean she was an idiot, and any person, man or woman, didn't have to be an expert in romance in order to see how very clearly Shirou held feelings for Saber, despite their short time together. The way his cheeks would flush whenever she made direct eye contact with him, the way he would incessantly stammer whenever she so much as asked him a question, it was painfully obvious to her (and to Rin as well, she wagered) what Shirou felt for her.

It was ridiculous. Saber was not here to fall in love, nor to teach her supposed Master common knowledge that he should have already known on his own. She was simply here to fight and win the Grail, but it seemed as if it wasn't going to be simple as she would've hoped.

That was precisely why Saber had taken to these nighttime walks around the city. She needed at least a moment of peace, a moment of respite to clear her head from the nauseating liveliness of the Emiya household.

Saber scowled to herself and began to quicken her pace.

Back in the previous war, Saber never once thought particularly highly of Kiritsugu and even now she would not say that she wished he was her Master once more, but she had to admit that she took the independence he gave her for granted. Being forced to practically babysit a young teenager was not something she even remotely wanted to do.

Besides, she was at least thankful to Kiritsugu for providing her with probably her only one true friend; Irisviel. Her heart ached slightly in remembrance of her old friend but she shook it off and continued to walk.

She admitted that when she was on these walks she never had a clear destination in mind, she would just walk long enough so that she felt satisfied. Finding her way home wasn't an issue either, as she was comfortable enough with the city in order to make her way back home. Furthermore, the walks also gave her the opportunity to scout out nearby Servants or Masters.

As she emerged from a particularly dimly lit alleyway, her eyes widened slightly at the realization of where she was-The Mion River. The same place she had vanquished Caster all those years ago. She was surprised at how calming the place now was, recalling the stench of blood and evil that had previously invaded the otherwise serene river.

She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the feel of the light breeze that ruffled her hair.

It was nice here. She decided she could afford to sit down and rest a bit here before heading back.

She had barely sat down on the soft grass when a strangely familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

"Well well well, if it isn't Saber." The voice said, a very audible smirk in his voice.

She leapt to her feet, rapidly brandishing Excalibur, spinning around to come face to face with a man that she actually recognized, oddly enough.

The man almost seemed to be drowning in gold, everything from his hair to his attire was a stunning golden color, save his eyes which were a very dark, blood red. Surprisingly, the man was not wearing armor, instead opting to wear a casual white V-neck and snakeskin pants.

She remembered him, remembered him well in fact, much to her dismay.

"A-Archer!?" She exclaimed, incredulous.

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Archer? But isn't there another in this war who shares that same title?" He scoffed, that cold smirk still ever so present on his face.

She furrowed her brows, realizing what he meant. There was currently another Archer in this war, (and it would be a disservice to that Archer to refer to him with the same title as _this_ man) meaning that the man who currently was standing before him was no longer one of the Archer class.

But that was impossible. If he was still a Servant, she should've definitely been able to sense his presence. Yet he had snuck up behind her, completely undetected by her, which, by all normal standards, should have been impossible. Saber realized she didn't sense any supernatural presence emanating from him either.

"But, that's not-" She spluttered, in disbelief. "H-How?" She exclaimed, still holding Excalibur tightly. The man said nothing, yet continued to stare directly at her with a darkness in his eyes that made Saber's stomach turn.

Narrowing her eyes, she moved Excalibur further so that it was mere inches away from the man's face.

Yet he did not move, nor even flinch.

"I demand answers, _Gilgamesh._ Now." She ordered.

He looked up at her, amusement coloring his expression.

"So you do remember me."  
"How could I not?" She said coldly. It was not hard to remember the face of a man who had not only verbally ridiculed and assaulted her, but had even _proposed_ to her in the most vicious manner possible; sending numerous blades into her, and verbally commanding her to submit and marry him.

He chuckled and almost as if reading her mind, he said, "It's a strange thing, isn't it? The Grail."

She blinked.

 _What?_

He continued. "I already own all the treasures worth owning, I had no particular wish I wanted granted, yet that Grail still chose to grant me a mortal body."

 _A mortal body?_

She frowned again, finally understanding what he was saying.

"So you're not a Servant anymore then?"

"Correct." He said.

She did not pull Excalibur back, but a new thought had begun to emerge in her mind.

So basically, this meant she had no reason to fight him then? She had no business fighting one who wasn't a Servant nor Master. But surely she could not just let him go? He was a dangerous man, if his actions from the previous war were any indication.

She didn't like this.

Gritting her teeth, she slightly pulled Excalibur away, though still kept a very sharp eye on him.

"Gilgamesh. If what you told me is true, I have no reason, nor any real desire to fight you right now. Therefore I ask you to please bid me leave. However, should you refuse to leave-"

She brandished Excalibur once more, her face resolved, deathly serious. "I shall have no choice but to cut you down."

A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes as a grin cracked onto his face before he began to laugh loudly, taking her aback.

"I see nothing to laugh at here, King of Heroes." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing in particular, my dear King of Knights. I was just thinking that you haven't changed." He said, and Saber couldn't help but notice a very strange expression in his face. It was almost...longing?

She chose to ignore it, and continued to stare at him, waiting for him to do something other than laugh at her. When it was clear that he was not planning on leaving, she sighed, and without even the slightest warning, swung at him with Excalibur, with all the intent to kill.

Yet Gilgamesh still did not materialize into his armour, nor move offensively at all whatsoever, but instead hopped backwards slightly to avoid her swing.

"Are you sure you want to attack me, Saber?" He taunted, continuing to effortlessly dodge her relentless strikes at him.

"Of course I am!" She said through gritted teeth as she continued to strike at him, growing increasingly frustrated with how easily he was dodging her most calculated blows.

"Think about it." He smirked, his complexion not once wavering. "While you've been absent for 10 years, I've been here, my power only growing. I am not tied down to a master like you are, and even if I were, it-"  
He gasped slightly as he realized he had jumped to the side to avoid a blow just a second too late, as the edge of her sword had slightly nicked his side.

Satisfied, Saber took a step back with Excalibur still extended at him.

Yet she didn't feel entirely relieved, as she took a moment to contemplate what he had just said. Loathe as she was to admit it, he was right.

He was undoubtedly much stronger than before, all those years ago, that much she could tell from how easily he was avoiding blows that not even the toughest fighter could've dodged. It was a miracle she had managed to land a blow on him at all, as small as it was.

Besides, she was tied down to her Master, whereas he obviously wasn't. She already felt much weaker than she should, no doubt due to her Master's meager mana supply.

Saber didn't want to admit it, but she knew she would not be able to win this battle.

She brought her attention back to Gilgamesh, who was staring at her intensely, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth.

"Amazing." He said, gently tending to his wound. " You never cease to impress me, Arturia."

The use of her real name, a name which she had not heard used towards her in a _very_ long time, sent an unwelcome blush flaring up under her cheeks. She instantly turned her head to the side, praying he would not notice, but he very easily did.

"I would thank you kindly for not using my real name, King of Heroes." She retorted, bringing her gaze back to his.

Yet she surprised him greatly when she suddenly dematerialized both Excalibur and her armour, standing before him in nothing but her light blue dress.

He said nothing, but stared at her with wide eyes, waiting for her explanation.

"Do not take this as a sign of surrender, _Gilgamesh_." She spat, venom in each of her words. "Though I desperately want to finish you right here and now, I am no fool. I know when I am outmatched in battle and I know when to pull back."

He blinked a few times, very obviously taken aback. He had not expected this. Regaining his composure, he opened his mouth to say something only to be brusquely interrupted by her once again.

"Therefore, I will not fight you. I realize I have no other choice in this situation other than to listen to you and do whatever you wish to do with me. However, do not think it will be so easy, King of Heroes. I am not one of your countless poor willing maidens that you no doubt bedded back in your day, so if you wish to treat me as such, know there _will_ be consequences. " She added with an air of finality, crossing her arms.

At this, Gilgamesh smirked once more. Gods, he had missed this woman.  
"Don't worry, Saber. I would never come to demand something so... impure of you." He took a few steps closer to her, liking the way her brow furrowed at this.

"Then what is it? What else would you interrupt me for, waste my time for, even risk your life for?"

He chuckled, drawing even closer. "Do you really think so poorly of me, Saber? You really think the only thing I would ever want from you is your body?"

She said nothing, staring past him stubbornly.

He frowned, his smile disappearing. "That does remind me. Why do you think so poorly of me, Arturia? What have I done to so easily receive nothing but your most bitter hatred?" He reached to grasp a stray strand of her hair, bringing it down to her chin.

She scoffed and took a step back, brushing his hand away.

"Ha! I really must remind you, then? Are you really so _arrogant_ not to realize that having swords thrown into you, then being _proposed_ to isn't exactly the way to leave a kind impression on someone?"  
"Ah. But that was 10 years ago." He said with a shrug, very clearly not taking what she had said seriously. "Surely a person could change in that time?"

"Well, yes-" She faltered. "But it is evident to me that you have not changed whatsoever."

"But have you even given me a chance? I would've thought the kind, benevolent King Arthur would have graciously bestowed on me another chance to try and redeem myself."

He was playing with her, the bastard.

"I've honored your request of not using your real name, have I not, _Arturia_?"

She bit her lip in frustration.

"I do not see how bringing this up is either relevant, nor productive, so if you have nothing more you wish to speak with me about, then-"  
"A drink."

 _What?_

"I came to you to have a drink. That was all."  
To demonstrate this, he suddenly opened up his Gate of Babylon behind him, only to pull out two golden goblets and a pitcher of wine. He offered one to her, which she accepted after a moment of hesitation.

She eyed him suspiciously.  
"Just a drink? You have no...ulterior motive?"

He said nothing and instead leaned forward to pour the wine into her goblet.

She shifted uncomfortably in her feet, still not liking where this was going. Yet as soon as she made the motion to take her first sip, she felt his hand on her arm, stopping her.

She shook him off, ready to protest when he said, "You really think this dirty beach as the proper place for a drink between kings?"

"You mean to take me to your room, then?" She shot back.

"No need to jump to conclusions there, Saber. I only mean to take us somewhere more...suitable." He responded, moving to fill his own glass, noticing from the corner of his eye how her face furiously flushed red.

"I fail to see why that is necessary. Must you really require a separate location all for the sake of a drink?" She countered, not backing down.

He brought his gaze away from the wine, now choosing to stare directly into Saber's eyes, before saying, in a very low voice;

"When I will be drinking with someone as intriguing as you, my dear Saber, I fear this shabby, low life beach will simply not cut it."

She was silent for a moment, ignoring the way his gaze nearly seemed to be piercing right through her.

"F-fine then." She finally said, pushing away the voice that was telling her she was going to regret this. That much was obvious, but what other choice did she really have?

His eyes glinted in delight before he offered an arm to her which she gingerly took.

"Then, shall we?"

She nodded once and the two kings disappeared from the river in a flash of shimmering golden light.

* * *

Part 2 will be out shortly, all the smut will be in that one ;))


End file.
